Sunday, February 18, 2018

Caleb Watson returned home to Douglas, Georgia on Saturday morning, 17 February 2018, for the 10K at the nineteenth annual Heart-to-Heart Run. Watson, a cross-country runner at Valdosta State University, won the 6.2-mile race in 36:36, finishing a mile ahead of the next runner. Axson, Georgia master runner Tashiba Peoples took the women's title, placing third overall in 46:47.

Watson had finished three seconds behind the winner, Cody Reid, in the 2017 race, the first year the 10K was contested at the Heart-to-Heart Run. Jacory Bazell was runner-up in the 2018 race; the Macon, Georgia athlete running 43:36. Vicente Guerrero of Nichols, Georgia was third in the men's standings and fourth overall in 47:47. Jose Salinas of Douglas was the first male master and fourth male finisher, fifth overall in 48:44.

Douglas master runner Maria Highsmith was the second woman and sixth overall in 50:56. Stephanie Deas, another Douglas master runner, was the third female finisher and eighth overall in 55:50.

25 athletes finished the 10K.

Top Ten Men, 2018 Heart-to-Heart 10K

36:35.023, Caleb Watson (M, 19) Douglas, GA

43:35.343, Jacory Bazell (M, 28) Macon, GA

47:46.710, Vicente Guerrero (M, 25) Nicholls, GA

48:43.717, Jose Salinas (M, 41) Douglas, GA

55:02.080, Frank White (M, 72) Cumming, GA

60:50.983, Keith Carver (M, 51) Douglas, GA

61:51.510, William Melendez (M, 57) Mcdonough, GA

62:40.313, Randy Grace (M, 44) Cordele , GA

68:54.203, Mat Melendez (M, 26) Jacksonville, FL

73:57.183, Donovan Fitzgerald (M, 24) Nicholls, GA

Top Ten Women, 2018 Heart-to-Heart 10K

46:46.980, Tashiba Peoples (F, 40) Axson, GA

50:55.553, Maria Highsmith (F, 40) Douglas, GA

55:49.153, Stephanie Deas (F, 44) Douglas, GA

56:33.807, Jane Causey (F, 58) Baxley, GA

63:52.573, Ashley Floyd (F, 28) Willacoochee, GA

64:36.477, Julie Germani (F, 36) Douglas, GA

69:42.663, Jessica Woods (F, 31) Douglas, GA

70:37.903, Tabitha Smith (F, 31) Alma, GA

71:11.290, Rhonda Walsh (F, 47) Hazlehurst, GA

96:08.410, Brenda Wall (F, 65) Leesburg, GA

Coffee High cross-country runners swept the 5K at the Heart-to-Heart Run, with frosh Cameron Watson winning the race for the second year in a row, while sophomore Abbey Arnett captured the women's crown. Watson covered the course in 17:53, and Arnett was fourth overall in 21:08.

Dawson Bussey, a junior on the Atkinson County High cross-country squad, took second overall in 19:29. Robert Beecher of Surrency, Georgia was third in 21:03. Shaun Soper of Waycross, Georgia was the fastest master runner in the race, placing fifth in the men's standings and sixth overall in 23:09.

Liz Graves of Douglas was the second woman and seventh overall in 23:19. Maddie Harper was the third female finisher and twelfth overall in 25:50. Trish Watson was the first woman master and fourth female finisher, fifteenth overall in 26:35.